Keyboard is an input device for inputting words, characters, and numbers and has been indispensible to the operations of personal computers, consumer electronics, and industrial process equipments.
On a typical keyboard, most of the keys have standard size square keycaps, while other keys, such as the Space bar, Enter key, Caps Lock key, and Shift key, have enlarged keycaps.
For those keys with enlarged keycaps, support rods are adopted to enhance the structural strength of keycaps so that the enlarged keycaps would not tilt when the user presses the keys at positions other than the center of the keys. However, as support rods are usually designed to be in direct contact with the baseplate and the area of contact between the two components is relatively large, upward and downward movements of keycaps typically cause undesirable noises resulting from collision between the support rod and the baseplate. Consequently, there is a need for a key switch with reduced typing noise and good structural strength sufficient for use on keyboards for frequently operated consumer electronics.